1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector, and more particular to a card edge connector assembly having an end position switch to detect full insertion of an electrical card received therein.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, an electrical card or chip card as presently used contains recording media in the card itself. This recording media or intelligence is typically in the form of a memory circuit that contains read only memory (ROM) or read/write memory (random access memory, RAM). The information stored in the read only memory or read/write memory then is used by card reader or card interface device to detect certain information. An electrical connector for receiving such an electrical card or chip card often has an end position switch indicating whether the card is fully inserted.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,900,273, issued to Pernet on Feb. 13, 1990, discloses a conventional card connector which has an end-of-stroke contact. The end-of-stroke contact of Pernet has a moving blade and a fixed contact. Before an electrical card is inserted into the connector, the end-of-stroke contact is in a closed position, and a bearing surface of the fixed contact resiliently contacts the shaped contact surface of the moving blade. When the electrical card is fully inserted into the connector, an edge of the card pushes a retaining finger of the moving blade, so that the shaped contact surface is pushed away from bearing surface of the fixed contact, and the end-of-strode contact is from the closed position to an open position to indicate the card is fully inserted.
However, too much deformation exerted on the moving blade of the end-of-stroke contact by insertions of the card will result in overwork of the moving blade, and the closed position of the end-of-stroke contact prior to the card being inserted into the connector is demolished. As a result, the electrical connector can not exactly indicate whether the card has been fully inserted.
Hence, an improved electrical connector with an improved end position switch to indicate the full insertion of an electrical card is needed to solve the above problems.
A main object of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector having an improved end position switch to extend the life thereof.
To fulfill the above-mentioned object, an electrical card connector of present invention has a housing and an end position switch located in a rear part of the housing, The end position switch is triggered by an electrical card inserted into the connector. The end position switch is normally in an open position, and includes a first spring contact and a second spring contact. The first spring contact is secured in front of the second spring contact. The first and second spring contacts respectively have body portions, fixing portions extending from ends of the body portions, soldering portions extending from the fixing portions for soldering the first and second spring contacts to a printed circuit board (PCB), and contact arms extending from free ends of the body portions. The first spring contact has a resilient contact portion slantways extending from the body portion. The second spring contact has a guide portion extending downwardly from the contact arm thereof. When the electrical card is inserted into the connector, the resilient contact portion is pushed by the card, and the contact arm of the first spring contact moves onto and contacts the contact arm of the second spring contact. Thus, circuit traces on the PCB are electrically connected through the contact arms of the first and second spring contacts to indicate whether the card is inserted fully.